Now that my Cold Wars tasks have been completed for a few weeks, I’ve been leisurely finishing up some unfinished in progress things that have been laying around.

The T-Rex is from Jeff Valent Studios, which I believe is now defunct. I think I bought this at Fall In! in Gettysburg, if that gives you any idea of how long I’ve been carting it around.

These 18th century civilians are from Foundry. I plan on using these for Sharp Practice and Legends of the High Seas.

This group is from Conquest Miniatures and includes a Jesuit Priest, a French de la Marine officer and the Last of the Mohicans set. I did a poor job with Alice – I seem to have captured her likeness “post waterfall”.

West Wind makes this Kubelwagen, but I’m not sure where the driver came from. The SS are mostly Warlord plastics with a metal figure from…Battle Honors maybe…

Like this:

At this year’s Historicon I’ll be running two WWII skirmish games using Disposable Heroes II. One scenario is a late war engagement between elements of the US 90th Infantry Division and the 2nd and 3rd SS Divisions.

As I dare not run a convention game with incomplete miniatures, I’m using this as an opportunity to finish my SS platoon that has been in various stages of completion for many years. I’ll be documenting my progress and camouflage painting techniques in a series of posts. This first installment will address the platoon composition, and the figures I have chosen to represent the soldiers/equipment.

I’m using two sources for my order of battle – the German Army book ANGRIFF! from Iron Ivan Games, and the late war German Grenadier list from the Chain of Command rulebook. Here’s my planned unit:

Grenadier Platoon

Platoon HQ

Lieutenant w/MP-40 – Warlord

Staff Sergeant w/MP-40 – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

Private w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

1st Squad

LMG Team

Sergeant w/MP-40 – Victory Force

LMG Gunner w/MG-42 – Warlord

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

LMG Team

Corporal w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

LMG Gunner – Warlord

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

2nd Squad

LMG Team

Sergeant w/MP-40 – Victory Force

LMG Gunner w/MG-42 – Warlord

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

LMG Team

Corporal w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

LMG Gunner – Warlord

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

3rd Squad

LMG Team

Sergeant w/MP-40 – Warlord

LMG Gunner w/MG-42 – Renegade Miniatures

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

LMG Team

Corporal w/Kar-98k – Victory Force

LMG Gunner – Renegade Miniatures

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Ammunition Bearer w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Platoon Support

Sniper Team

Sniper w/Scoped Kar-98k – Warlord

Spotter w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Panzerschreck Team

Gunner w/Panzerschreck – Warlord

Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Flamethrower Team

Gunner w/Flamethrower – Warlord

Assistant w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Recon Team

Sergeant w/MP-40 – Warlord

LMG Gunner w/MG-42 – Warlord

LMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Private w/Kar-98k – Warlord

MG-42 HMG

Sergeant w/MP-40 – Warlord

HMG Gunner w/MG-42 – Warlord

HMG Loader w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Forward Observer

Radioman w/Kar-98k – Warlord

Medic

Medic – Warlord

7.5cm le IG.18

le IG.18 w/3 Crew – Warlord

7.5cm Pak 40

Pak 40 w/3 Crew – Crusader

I’ll also be adding in some various figures with panzerfausts and pioneer equipment.

Took advantage of a gloomy rainy day to put the finishing touches on a Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C for my Afrika Korps. This is the Warlord plastic kit that I received for my birthday a few years ago. Markings are from Archer and Warlord.

A few weeks ago we started our Mediterranean Bolt Action League at Huzzah. Instead of being smart and playing Americans, an army I can field with zero work, I decided to run DAK, an army I hadn’t even started.

Here are the first group of vehicles I completed. A motorcycle/sidecar combo from Warlord, a Panzer III from Rubicon and Rommel’s 250/3 Greif from Perry. The markings on the 250/3 are from Company B.

Last weekend I put the finishing touches on this die-cast German Staff Car that had been sitting around for several months in a partially finished state. It was a toy that I bought years ago when Walmart was carrying a small line of 1/48 WWII vehicles. It may be from 21st Century Toys.

I unscrewed the body from the chassis, removed the clear plastic windows, and gave it a fresh paint job as it was gray with green camouflage. I then added some new markings from Archer and Peddinghaus, and finished it of with Vallejo Premium Matt Varnish.

Last weekend also saw me sneak in another session of The Game of Kings – Chain of Command. The German support list has a nifty 4 man recon group with a 250. I wanted to field it, but didn’t have a 250 that I was particularly fond of. I did however have a 250 Neu from Blitzkrieg that was unfinished. In record turn-around time (for me) I finished this thing in about two hours, not counting drying time. Markings are from Rubicon and Archer.

A few weeks ago as Part of the Eastern Front Bolt Action Campaign at my FLGS, they held a single miniature peer-voted painting competition. My winter German medic tied for third with John B.’s FJ LMG gunner. Here’s my entry pre-basing.